Socket wrench and latching adapters therefor



M m, mm

L. L. ALLRED 23 09 822 SOCKET WRENCH AND LATCHING ADAPTERS THEREFORFiled April 25, 1955 1 35a 32 is C 3/ I 3.9 37 350. 3noe'ntor .LURAN L.ALLRED (lttornegs United States Patent m SOCKET WRENCH AND LATCHINGADAPTER THEREFOR Luran L. Allred, Duchesne, Utah, assignor to Bask ToolCompany, Duchesne, Utah, a corporation of Utah Application April 25,1955, Serial No. 503,447 9 Claims. (Cl. 81-125) This invention relatesto socket wrenches equipped for interlock with work received thereby. Itrelates also to adapters arranged for interlock with the receivingsockets of such wrenches.

The invention is particularly useful in its application to socketwrenches of the ratchet type, enabling the work to be .turned by themanipulation of a lever in co-operation with the handle of the wrench,rather than by turning of the wrench itself.

While socket wrenches are well known, as are various types of ratchet,wrenches, their usefulness has been limited by the difliculty ofmaintaining proper engagement between the socket and received work inmany instances of hard-to-rea-ch places in automotive and othermechanical repair and maintenance work.

The present invention provides a construction insuring continuedpositive engagement between wrench socket, adapter, and received work atall times.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of locking means inthe adapter and of a mating keeper in the adapter-receiving mastersocket of the wrench. Such locking element includes a latch member andactuator therefor, the latter normally projecting into the workengagingarea of the adapter, whereby interengagement of the adapter with thework will positively lock the adapter to the master socket of thewrench.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the particular preferredembodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a ratchet type of socket wrenchconforming to the invention;

Fig. 2, a vertical section taken on the line. 2-2 of Fig. 1 and drawn toan enlarged scale;

Fig. 3, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1, but illustrating asocket type of latching adapter for insertion in the master socket ofthe wrench of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, but drawn to theenlarged scale of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2, but illustrating thesocket adapter of Fig. 4 in locked, working position in the wrench ofFig. 1 by reason of engagement with work in the form of a bolt head;

Fig. 6, a perspective view corresponding to that of Fig. 3, but showinga plug type of latching adapter;

Fig. 7, a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, but drawn to theenlarged scale of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 5, but taken with respectto the plug type of adapter of Fig. 7 and work appropriate thereto. 7

In Fig. 1 is illustrated a preferred form of socket wrench and mastersocket conforming to the invention. Preferred forms of work adapterstherefor are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, respectively.

The illustrated wrench 10 is of well known ratchet type, possessingratchet mechanism (not shown) operable by a lever 11. Such lever is heldin inset relationship with 2,800,822 Patented July 30, 19 57 the wrenchhandle 10a, as indicated, when not in use. A freely swinging link 12,pivoted to the handle, provides a convenient lever-holding means. It maybe pushed back on its pivot axis to release the lever 11 when ratchetoperation of the wrench is desired.

A master socket 14 is rotatably mounted in the socket head 10b of thewrench, and has its outer perimetric surface formed as a ratchet wheel14a for actuation by a pawl (not shown) operated by the lever 11. Thus,movement of the lever 11 inwardly and outwardly of its illustrated insetposition serves to rotate such master socket in customary fashion.

The master socket 14 is provided, in this instance, with a latch keeperrecess 15 in one of its work adapter engaging faces, and with a frictionlock 16 in conjunction with the opposite work adapter receiving face.

Each work adapter constructed for assembly with the wrench 10 and forco-operative interlock with the master socket 14 during engagement ofsuch adapter with the Work, carries locking means in the form of a latchmember interconnected with an actuating member. Such latch and actuatingmembers are operably secured to the work adapter in any suitable manner,preferably by members integral with such latch and actuating members andfitting into and anchored within suitable accommodating recesses in thework adapter.

In the socket type of work adapter illustrated in Figs. 3-5, the adapterproper 17 is provided with a hexagonal outer configuration for snuglyfitting into the receiving opening 18 of the master socket 14 and with asocket opening 19 of hexagonal configuration for receiving the work, forexample, the hexagonal head 20a of a bolt 20. An outwardly extending,perimetric flange 17a serves as a limit stop governing the extent ofpenetration and the placement of the work adapter with respect to themaster socket, while an inwardly extending, perimetric flange 17bgoverns the extent of penetration and the placement of the work withrespect to the work adapter. The outer flange 17a is recessed, as at 21,to accommodate the friction lock 16, see Fig. 5.

As the locking means carried by the work adapter, a single length ofstifi and preferably resilient wire 22 is bent to provide anintermediate crimp 22a, serving as a latch member, and inturned ends 22band 220, respectively, serving as upper and lower anchorage members, theportions 22d therebetween serving as a pair of actuating members.

Such bent wire is snapped into anchored placement on the Work adapter 17at and extending from end to end of one of the facet faces defining thework-receiving socket opening 19, here shown as that facet face whichlies directly opposite and across the socket opening from the frictionlock accommodating recess 21 in order to tie in with the particularorientation of friction lock 16 and latch keeper recess 15 illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2.

For the purpose of receiving and anchoring the inturned tips of ends 22band 220 of such locking means 22, the work adapter 17 is appropriatelyrecessed at its upper and lower surfaces as indicated at 23 and 24,respectively, in Fig. 4.

For accommodating the latch member 22a and for rendering it effective ina locking capacity with respect to the keeper recess 15, the adapter 17is recessed to the extent of complete perforation through the socketdefining facet wall thereof against which the latch member 22a isdisposed, providing a passage 25 through which such latch member isprojected when the actuating members 22d are engaged and actuated by thereceived Work, see Fig. 5. A longitudinal channel recess 26 extendingfrom end to end of the wall facet concerned and comprehending thepassage 25 is provided for accommodating ice the actuating members 22dwhen actuated by the work in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

It can be seen that entry of work into the socket opening of the adapter17 effects a positive locking such adapter with respect to the mastersocket 14 by reason of the projection of the latch member 22a into thekeeper recess 15. Thus, the Wrench may be used in hard-to-reach placeswithout fear of losing the work adapter.

The friction lock 16 represents one way of insuring against loss of thework adapter from the master socket during handling of the wrenchbetween work periods and while engaging and disengaging the work.

In the plug type of work adapter illustrated in Figs. 6-8, the adapterproper is provided with a hexagonal head or adapter plug member 30 andwith a work plug member 31 formed as an axial continuation of the headand configurated to fit within the recess, here 32, Fig. 8, of athreaded plug, here 33. A perimetric flange 34 separates the head fromthe plug insert, and serves as a limit stop governing the depth ofpenetration and placement of the work adapter with respect to the mastersocket 14 of the wrench.

In this instance, a comparatively long length of Wire 35 is bent toprovide a latching crimp 35a, and upper and lower anchor tips 351) and350, respectively. An actuating member 35d and an interconnecting member35e are provided intermediate the inturned ends of the wire.

The upper and lower surfaces of the work adapter proper areappropriately recessed, as at 36 and 37, respectively, Fig. 7, forreceiving and anchoring the respective tips 35b and 35c, the lowerrecess 37 being elongated in the direction of actuating member movementso as to accommodate such movement.

The head or adapter plug member 30 is longitudinally recessed from endto end, as at 38, for accommodating the latch member 35a, and the Workplug member 31a is similarly recessed, as at 39, for accommodating theactuator member 35d.

In use, the head or adapter plug member 30 is engaged by the receivingopening 18 of the master socket 14, being tightly locked therein byfriction lock 16. Upon inserting the work plug member 31 in thereceiving opening 32 of threaded plug 33, actuator member 35 d is pushedinto its accommodating recess 39, and latch member 35a iscorrespondingly pushed out into engaging relationship with latch recessof the master socket.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect tocertain presently preferred forms thereof,

it should be realized that various changes may be made therein. and thatvarious other forms may be constructed, within the scope of thefollowing claims, without departing from the fundamental concepts heretaught.

I claim:

1. In a work-locking socket wrench assembly, the combination of a socketwrench having a master socket; a work adapter for said master socket;means defining a latch keeper recess in a wall of said master socket;and locking means carried by said work adapter, said locking meanscomprising a latch member, an interconnecting actuating member, andanchorage means securely engaged with the work adapter, said workadapter being recessed to accommodate said locking means and actuationthereof, and the recessing including a latch-member-accommodating recessopening into an exterior face of the work.

adapter which is contiguous to said master socket when the adapter isfitted into the wrench, said latch member being normally disposed withinsaid recess for outward latching movement with respect thereto, and saidrecessing also including an actuating-rnember-accommodating recessopening into a work engaging face of the work adapter, said actuatingmember normally projecting therebeyond so as to be actuated, and therebyproject said latchmember. into saidkeepersrecess ofthe-master socket;whensaid Workadapter engages thework.

""a,soo,s22

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the component membersof the locking means are formed by a single length of wire possessingresiliency and bent to final formation, the anchorage means beingprovided by inturned opposite ends of said length of wire; and whereinupper and lower surfaces of the work adapter are recessed to receive andretain the tips of said inturned opposite ends of the length of wire,respectively.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein the latch member is anoutwardly projecting crimp in the length of wire intermediate the endsthereof and at a location registering with the latch keeper recess whenthe work adapter is fitted into the master socket of the wrench.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein the actuating membercomprises at least one intermediate portion of the length of wiredisposed longitudinally of the depth of that part of the work adapterwhich is engaged by the work.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the work adapter isprovided with a perimetric flange disposed as a limit to stop withrespect to the master socket of the wrench for determining the extent ofinterfit between said work adapter and said master socket.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein the work adapter is ofsocket formation, and the latch member projects through an apertureformed in one Wall thereof.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, wherein an inwardly projecting,perimetric flange is provided adjacent an end of the work adapter as anabutment stop limiting the extent of interfit of said work adapter andthe master socket.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the work adapter is ofplug formation, having an adapter plug member configurated for fittingin the master socket of the wrench, and a work plug member projectingfrom said adapter plug member and configurated for engagement with awork recess; wherein the component memmembers of the locking means areformed by a single length of wire possessing resiliency and bent tofinal formation, the anchorage means being provided by inturned oppositeends of said length of wire; wherein upper and lower surfaces of thework adapter are recessed to receive and retain the tips of saidinturned opposite ends of the length of wire, respectively; wherein thelatch member is an outwardly projecting crimp in .the length of wire inthat end portion thereof which is associated with the adapter plug andvat a location registering with the latch keeper recess. when the workadapter is fitted into the master socket of the wrench, said adapterplug being recessed inwardly from one of its socket-engaging faces, foraccommodating the latch member; wherein the actua-ting member is aportion of the length of wire associated with the work plug and disposedlongitudinally of the depth thereof, said work plug being recessedinwardly from a work-engaging face thereof which is disposed oppositethe said one socket-engaging face of the adapter plug, for accommodatingsaid actuating member; and wherein the work adapter is provided with apassage extending from its latch-member-accommodating recess to itsactuating-member-accommodating recess, the intermediate portion of saidlength of wire which interconnects said latch member with said actuatingmember being slideably received by said passage.

9. A work adapter for work-locking socket wrenches provided with anadapter-receiving master socket, comprising a work adapter proper; andlocking means carried by said adapter proper, said. locking meanscomprising a master socketengagingmember, an interconnectingactuatingmember, and anchorage means securely engaged with said adapterproper, the latter being recessed to accommodate said locking means andactuation thereof,

and the recessing including an engaging-member-accom-- modating recessopening into an exterior faceof said adapter proper which is contiguousto said master socket when said adapter proper is fitted into thewrench, said engaging member being normally disposed within said recessfor outward latching movement with respect thereto, and said recessingalso including an actuating-memberaccomrnodating recess opening into awork engaging face of said adapter proper, said actuating membernormally projecting therebeyond so as to be actuated, and therebyactuate said engaging member, when said adapter proper engages the work.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS271,549 True Jan. 30, 1883 Fitch May 3, 1898 Snidter Dec. 17, 1901Atkins Jan. 12, 1909 Miller Dec. 21, 1926 Le Roue June 29, 1943 ThompsonFeb. 6, 1945 Waterval Sept. 8, 1953

